Internal-combustion engine



May 16, 1944.

L. R. SPENCER l 'INTERNAL GOMBUSTION ENGINE Filed J'an. 5, 1942 sheets-Sheet l INVENroR,

. .mmrl//lininiih/w/ l l/lf i 4 10\ w ....0 .01 HJHW A Ff 2 o L H15 ATTORNEYS I. lwn 'Ng /1 M l May i6, 1944; L. R. SPENCER 2,349,203

INTERNAL coMBusToN ENGINE Filed Jan. 5, 1942 3 sneeis-sheet 2 INVENFOR L0u7zl5 E Span/C67;

HIS ATTOPNFYS May 16, 1944. v L. R. SPENCER INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed Jan.l 5, 1942 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 `INvENToR. Loa/,15' 7. Spencer BY Patented May 16, 1944 INTERNAL- COMBUSTION ENGINE Louis R. Spencer, West Hartford, Conn., assignor to Spencer Aircraft Motors, Inc., West Hart- `ford, Conn., a. corporation of Connecticut Application January 5, 1942, Serial No. 425,686

` (c1. iai- 6) 3 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in internal combustion engines and particularly to such engines of the in-line type of cylinder block, wherein a plurality of cylinders are formed in line longitudinally of the block.

The primary object of the invention is to provide an improved system for lubricating the poppet valves controlling the intake and exhaust of the cylinders and also lubricating the mechanism by which said valves are actuated.

A'further object is to provide a lubricating system for the valves and their actuating mechansm, wherein the arrangement of said system or the principal portion thereof will materially facilitate the foundry work involved in producing the engine block casting. More specifically, thearrangement contemplates the location of the main lubricant supply duct centrally of the casting so that, with the molds and cores split on their center lines, an insert for forming the duct can be very readily placed in position in making the casting. l

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in certain details of construction and combinations and arrangements of parts, all as will hereinafter be more fully described and the novel features thereof particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings- Figure 1 is a sectional View through the upper portion of a cylinder block in a plane intersecting one of the valves of a cylinder and the valve rocker arm.

Fig. 2 is a similar view illustrating the other valve of said cylinder;

Fig. 3 is a similar view taken in a plane intersecting one of the bearings for the rocker arm cam shaft;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view through the upper portion of the cylinder block with the rocker arms omitted, this View being taken longitudinally of the rocker arm crank shaft on the line 4--4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a plan view of one of the gears for driving the cam shaft;

Fig. 6 is a sectional View on the line 6-6 of Fig. 1:

Fig. '7 is a detail sectional view illustrating one arrangement for controlling the supply of lubricant to the valve stems; and

Fig. 8 is a similar view illustrating a modified arrangement for supplying the lubricant to the valve stems.

The present invention is especially applicable to the so-called in-line type of cylinder block,

the upper portion of which is illustrated at I0 with two of the alined longitudinally spaced cylinders indicated at I I. Each cylinder is provided with three ports, two of said ports I4, which are intake ports, being controlled by valves I2 carried on Valve stems I3, and the third port I5 for the exhaust being contro-lied by a valve I6 on valve stem Il. As shown more particularly in Figs. 1, 2 and 6, the intake ports and their valves and the exhaust port and its valve, of each cylinder, are located at opposite sides of the longitudinal center of the cylinder block, the several valve stems being positioned in a mass of metal I8, a portion at least of which is located at the longitudinal center of the block. Each valve stem is provided with a head I 9, and mounted in opposite side walls of the cylinder block are rocker arms 20, 2l adapted to depress and open their respective valves against the tension of springs 23. The rocker arms are depressed by cams 24 on the cam shaft 25, it being understood that springs 23 return the valves to their closed position as the pressure of the respective cams is relieved.

As best illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4, cam shaft 25 is journaled in bearings 26 at points spaced longitudinally of the block and more or less in vertical alinement with the longitudinal center of the block. Formed in the mass of metal and extending along the longitudinal center of the cylinder block is a main lubricant supply duct 2l with vertical branch ducts 22 terminating at the bearings 26 for the cam shaft and with smaller branch ducts 28 terminating at the bearings for the several valve stems. Lubricant under pressure is thus directed to all of these bearings. The pressure may be developed by a pump (not shown) driven by the motor itself, in accordance with usual practices.

It is readily appreciated that it would be exceedingly difcult to drill a hole of the proportions of the main duct 2l through the block lengthwise thereof. On the other hand, the present arrangement, i. e., with the main duct located at the center line of the casting, the molds and cores used in forming the same can be split along the center line of the casting so as to permit a steel tube of the desired size to be placed in the mold at the point where said duct is to be formed. The foundry work required for producing the engine block with a duct of this type formed therein is, therefore, greatly simplified.

If desired, valve stem guides 29, formed with openings 3l) in registry with the ducts 28, as shown in Fig. 2, may -be used for distributing the Il-l lubricant on the surface of the valve stems. Preferably, these guides are made of a porous or absorbent metal which will allow a slight seepage of the engine oil when under pressure. As shown in Fig. 7, the openings 3l] may be filled with such a porous metal, as indicated at 3|, or, as illustrated in Fig. 8, an imperforate sleeve of a porous or absorbent metal. Where the holes 30 are filled VWith the porous material 3|, the metal best suited for use as a bearing surface can be used in the guide itself, as the porous material will allow sufficient seepage of lubricant to the surface of the valve stem. K It is also preferable to recess the outer face of the valve stern guide sleeve to form a chamber1 or reservoir 32`in Which a small quantity of lubricant can accurnulate.

In addition to affording lubrication for ythe valve stems and crank shaft, the presentarrangement also renders it possible to provide lubrication forvfthegearsby which the. camshaft is driven. `.Intlfe present instance, the .driving .gear, n33 Lis. shown 'meshing With .the driven. gear .34 Withthe hub 35 of the latter splined to a Sleeve .3S.,`Which, in turn, is. splined to thecamfs'haft.

This form ofonnection is used principally with lsectional cam shafts, .but .the'specc form of connection is. immaterial, sofar as concerns the lubricating feature Formed Yin .the wall. ofthe ycylinder block is a conduit 31 which extends from one end of ,the main supply duct .21 tothe bearingforthe hub A35 of the driven gear. This conthrough to lubricate the'teeth of both .offthe gears. Thusnot onlyare the teeth of the gears amply lubricated, .butthe same is true of. the bearing. forhthel drivengear, by reason -of part of the lubricant passing straight through `conduit i what ,1.91am is 1. In a lubricating system for the valve stems of an internal combustion engine and the cam shaft, including the intermeshing driving gears, for actuating said stems, a main lubricant passage extending parallel to said shaft With a plurality of branch ducts leading therefrom, said branch ducts terminating at the bearings for said stems and shaft and at one of said intermeshing gars,`the lastrnertioned 'gear having passages therein intermittently movable into registry with the associated branch duct for sup- ,tudinally' thereof, 'valve stem bearings at opposite sides of lthe longitudinal center of said block,

. a, .valv shaft; ning a.,val ve stem actuating shaft, bearings for said shaft, a driven gear on said shaft, a bearing for said driven gear, a driving gear meshing with the,dtiyengear, a .main lubricant.. Surely. Pas- ,sagehbranch-- ducts extending .fromI said passage :i0 t Y A and..-,clrivezi4,geen. and abranch duct extending the. bearings for. .the'valve ,slt'emscam .shaft from said passage" to .the "faceof one 'ofrsaid gears,

.the lasirmemibne'dgear:having'supply neiiigs therein movablev into.` and out jof registryvvkith thel'ast-.rne 'ioned duct as saidgearrevolves.

derbloclg,havingfcylinders formed in line longitudinaklly vthereof, valve .ste'mfbearings ,at Iopposite-side. ofthe loigijtujiinal4 center ,of Lsaid block, u Aein, actuating f shaft,e bearings for Vsaid gearb ,saidffshaft, a.driving,gearl meshi ther'stgean amainlubricant supply passage,vv b'anch ducts extendingffijom-said pas- ,lubricant .froml the ducty leading to said gear'is supplied 'to the teetli'of`the 

